Gun violence and what to do about it
Why violence clusters in cities – and how to reduce it
Thomas Abt
In his TEDMED 2020 Talk, Violence Reduction Expert Thomas Abt paints a realistic but hopeful picture of cities across the country. As Thomas says, “when it comes to urban violence, the first priority is to save lives, treating that violence with the same urgency that we would treat a gunshot wound in the ER.” It is through this avid level of advocacy and hundreds of hours spent with young men, disadvantaged and disenfranchised, that Thomas brings a new approach for how to make communities safer.
Learn about why urban violence matters and the available solutions proven to work in addressing this challenge by watching Thomas’ Talk “Why violence clusters in cities – and how to reduce it”.
More About This TalkAbout Thomas Abt
About Thomas
Thomas Abt is a prominent expert on reducing urban violence. As a Senior Fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, he focuses on developing practical, evidence-based solutions to a major societal issue. In his book, Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence—and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets, Abt presents “smart-on-crime” strategies that don’t require large budgets or new laws. His work shows that effective violence reduction is possible by using existing resources more wisely. Before his current role, Abt held several key government positions. As Deputy Secretary for Public Safety in New York, he oversaw the state’s criminal justice and homeland security agencies and helped create the GIVE (Gun-Involved Violence Elimination) Initiative. He also served as the Chief of Staff for the Office of Justice Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he played a major role in creating the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. This program brings together government agencies and local communities to combat youth and gang violence. His career highlights a consistent dedication to public safety through intelligent and collaborative strategies.
